Michelle O'Neill said her actions compounded the hurt of those that lost loved ones.
Northern Ireland 's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has apologised for attending the funeral of former IRA man Bobby Storey during Coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Ms O'Neill said her actions "compounded the hurt" of those families who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Inquiry chair Baroness Hallett put to Ms O’Neill that her criticisms of former prime minister Boris Johnson and allegations of lockdown parties at Downing Street were “hypocritical”. “But I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through.
“Equally and more importantly, I think it’s about all the families of bereaved and people who went through horrific circumstance and the experience that they’ve had. It’s just horrendous and I would never set out to try to compound that or in any way make it more difficult for them to deal with their grief.”
In April 2021, Ms O’Neill offered a “heartfelt and unreserved apology” to families bereaved in the pandemic for her actions in relation to attending the funeral.Ms O’Neill told MLAs she was “truly sorry” for the hurt caused to those who had lost loved ones. Baroness Foster went on to query whether Ms O’Neill was “calling two of your ministerial colleagues incompetent”, adding “Naomi and Robin have both raised concerns about your behaviour”, and urged her to be “more collegiate”.
Responding to exchanges between her and Baroness Foster, Ms O’Neill said: “We had a difference of approach, that’s not politicking, about what’s the right way and what’s the wrong way.
Coronavirus Health Politics Sinn Fein Stormont
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